Peaks and Troughs
by o0shithappens0o
Summary: "He needs me, or I need him. Take your pick." -Misfire (MTMTE #45)
**Fandom:**

The Transformers IDW (More Than Meets The Eye)

 **Additional Tags:**

Ableism, Canon Disabled Character, Dysfunctional Relationships, Platonic Relationships

* * *

"This organic female was dragged along by her creators to a creepy, abandoned market and of course they're stupid enough to eat the food. Buffets of food with no customers should be a huge warning sign. You with me so far, Grimmy?"

"..."

"Anyway, turns out the place is magical and her creators are changed into cattle while she panics and hides like a puny fleshling. Now she's working for the deformed witch and has some spirit blob thing stalking her. This is where the movie gets interesting!"

"..."

Curled up on Grimlock's lap, Misfire had initiated a holovid marathon with the former Dynobot leader. So far they'd been watching an old drama from the Golden Age, but Misfire longed for something more fantasy-themed and easygoing. This animated Earth movie had looked promising enough.

It's quickly made apparent that the task of watching lies squarely upon his shoulders during their marathon. Misfire isn't bothered in the slightest. He's grown accustomed to providing wanted as well as unwanted narration during movie nights. The hyperactive jet knows that Grimlock can't process much beside a visual feed of images, at least he's been given said impression.

However, that's where the armor pinches; Misfire actually knows next to nothing about Grimlock's mental state. Same goes for the other Scavengers. All conclusions drawn so far are guesses at best, baseless observations without any facts to confirm them.

Their unorthodox surgeon doesn't deal with neuropsychiatry or mnemosurgery. When pressed by Misfire a while ago, Spinister's only response had been a non-commital shrug.

"You think I can play fiddle with brain modules, huh?"

Despite the dedication Misfire shows Grimlock, there are hardly any signs of improvement since he emerged from stasis on Clemency.

According to Krok, the Scavengers' lives will become much easier once they land on Cybertron and hand over the mentally disabled Dynobot to resourceful clinics. Even a remote Autobot ship or unknown colony could offer him better medical care.

Krok's stance on the subject is unyielding, just like it was during a past confrontation between him and Misfire.

"Face it Misfire, your bargain chip has proven itself more of a liability than anyone expected", the officer said crossing his arms. "We barely scrape together enough energon to feed ourselves, and a Dynobot consumes triple the ration of your average soldier with a vehicular alt mode. Look at the W.A.P.! Not that she used to be worth cheering over, but since Grimlock boarded she's begun falling to pieces at lightning speed!"

"Yes, but he's less prone to rampaging now. Soon he'll start writing responses when I ask questions, Krok I swear-"

Further protests died on his lipplates as a servo was raised, heavy with authority.

"Shut up. If you think I'll let anyone compromise my crew or my ship, you can wave him and the others goodbye from whichever asteroid we pass first. Do you want to stay with your pet so badly? It's time you realise that contributing to a group takes priority over whatever satisfaction some mech's pet-like dependence gives you."

 _Pet..._

Recalling said term in present time has Misfire unconciously grinding his denta. The noise stirs Grimlock out of his dull trance, prompting a glare down at the carmine jet huddled in his lap.

Pet. What an ugly, humiliating word. One which Krok seemingly loves to repeat around the Dynobot. Because Grimlock is unable to communicate, that leaves Misfire as his only defender, calling out their commander on the use of derogative speech. Frag Fulcrum to Pit and back, he's NOT protecting the Dynobot out of fondness. No sir. Can't a Decepticon simply respect his fellow Cybertronian's right to refute insults from other Cybertronians?

Caught up in his internal rant, Misfire fails to notice his servo moving to Grimlock's forearm.

Smaller digits circle the thick armor in a repetitive motion, essentially stroking the plating.

 _Maybe... just maybe, Krok is right about this?_

The thought leaves behind a foul taste, making his fuel chamber churn distressfully. He lost the privilege of avoiding reality long ago. Apparently the Scavengers' commanding officer finds Misfire easy to read, with his strange dig at the jet needing Grimlock's reliance.

Why would anyone believe he wants Grimlock to remain like this? So many joors spent coaxing words out of the sluggish mech, all those sessions inadvertedly honing his patience and impulse control more than they ended up helping Grimlock. Surely a smart mech like Krok can't mistake such efforts for selfishness?

Unless he suspects the jet has hidden intentions for insisting on bringing Grimlock.

Well... back at Clemency, Misfire had certainly been sincere about the value an infamous Autobot warrior would bring the Scavengers. Gaining the trust of their former enemy is still important, and returning Grimlock might earn them said trust.

Somewhere along the journey things grew complicated. Misfire couldn't explain the sudden change of spark, but eventually he stopped seeing Grimlock as a brainless bargain chip and instead saw a scarred mech who was suffering on the inside. The once formidable Dynobot had been violently stripped of his cunning and prowess, now regressed into a hollow shell. The Autobots put worth in his skills on the battlefield, not his life. Otherwise a rescue team would surely have found Grimlock before the Scavengers did.

This the jet can relate to. While he is a loyal soldier, he'll never delude himself into thinking his old unit used to care for his welfare. Those officers' main concern was how well you handled a gun. Locate the target, take aim, shoot with a decent hit rate and they would move on. Until, of course, an inability to maintain focus and ignore distractions stunted your aim so badly allies were caught in the crossfire. Then you got listed in some register, called a dangerous burden and kicked out of the unit.

That's how Misfire joined this ragtag bunch of misfits. They're simultaneously the best and the worst their faction has to offer. He can't be the only one who realises that Grimlock somehow fits right in.

A cold, creeping sense of doubt slowly engulfs him. Who is he trying to fool, justifying taking on Grimlock as his personal project? So far their time together only highlights how terrible a caretaker he is. Losing his temper over drained tanks and temporary setbacks, barely reigning himself in so he won't abuse Grimlock and cross the line of moral reprehension.

Krok must be out of it, demanding that Misfire contribute to the Scavengers when he already struggles bonding with a single mech...

 _What a joke. I'm useless to my fellow comrades, useless next to these losers and useless to someone worse off than me..._

His troubled mind finally registers the lack of dialogue. Misfire had been too distracted to follow the holovid's plot. Now it's almost finished, credits rolling across the screen in his hands before returning to the main menu.

There's a grunt from somewhere above Misfire's head. His instinctive reply sounds less guttural.

The demand is short but full of intent. "A...gain."

Red optics widen comically. Misfire cranes his neck back to glance at the Dynobot towering over him. A huge, unsteady servo reaches out to tap at the holovid screen in Misfire's grasp, not leaving a single scratch.

"Again."

Misfire's cheekplating threatens to split apart from the force of his grin. "Sure thing."

During their second rewatch, requested by Grimlock, Misfire feels his optics start to power down. He's too exhausted to notice the Dynobot's digits reciprocating his earlier anxious stroking. Within kliks, the stimuli leaves Grimlock with a loudly snoring jet.

Maybe, just maybe, there's hope for both of them...


End file.
